Into the Shadows
by oldschoollover
Summary: Meg meets the Phantom after Il Muto and things go from there. Is now a Les Miz crossover based on the 2012 movie, so I think this story will appear somewhere else on this site.
1. Never Mentioned

**Let's see where the keyboard takes me….**

Meg was dancing to _Poor Fool He Makes Me Laugh_ during _Il Muto_ and was very focused, so focused, in fact, that she was more shocked than everyone else when Carlotta croaked. Carlotta started screaming and ran off stage as the curtain went down.

"Out of my way!" Meg, who had made her way over to an area that was in Carlotta's path, was consequently knocked down by her as she pushed her way through the ballerinas. Christine helped her friend up.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"….when the role of the Countess will be played by Miss Daae!" shouted Firmin as he pulled a surprised Christine through the curtain, then shoved her back in again, telling her to quickly change.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Meg felt like she had been dancing the ballet for quite a while. _What could be taking her so long?_ Meg thought absentmindedly.

A blood-curdling scream interrupted her thoughts, followed by more screams. Meg turned around and joined in on the screaming. Buquet, dangling grotesquely, made her feel sick. _The Phantom?_ she thought, _Christine?_

Meg ran through the crowds trying to find her friend. She saw Raoul get to her first and she saw Christine lead him up the stairs. Meg decided to follow them. She wanted to make sure they were alright.

She had just reached one of the staircases Christine and Raoul had gone up, when she saw a shadow block the stairs. Meg was confused, then she saw a white mask. He was looking straight at her. One thought flashed through her mind: _Christine_.

Disregarding her fear, Meg resumed her speed towards the stairs where the Phantom was. She tried to scoot past him, but he grabbed her arm and blocked her way.

"I have to get through, let me go!" she told him, struggling.

"No," he said, firmly.

"But why not?"

"I need to see what's going on up there," he answered.

"Don't hurt them! Please, they're my friends! I-I won't let you!" Meg repositioned herself so she was in front of the Phantom with her arms stretched out as if to block _his_ way, while his hand was still gripping her arm. He looked at her thoughtfully. She struggled to keep looking into his eyes.

"Why did you kill him? And why did you sabotage Carlotta's performance?" Sabotage…and for Christine…it seemed like something only someone with influence would do….but how did she know it was for Christine? But then, why kill Buquet? He didn't even get to see her perform. But, why _would_ he want to even see Christine perform? Unless…

"You're him," she said softly, "the one she always talks about."

"And you're you," he replied, "the one she never mentioned." Meg was really confused now. Now she wanted to talk to him half to stall him and half because she was curious.

"Why would she mention me?" she questioned him, not impolitely.

"Get out of my way, girl!" he said suddenly. He let go of her arm, but now, Meg gripped his arm in an attempt to hold him back. He looked furious at her.

"Don't hurt them! You've hurt enough people tonight."

"It's none of your business, girl!"

"How can it be any of yours, either?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"That makes two of us."

"Are you challenging me?"

"I can't let you hurt them."

"Why do you care so much?"

"I could ask you the same question." Meg retorted. Suddenly, they heard footsteps on the stairs. The Phantom cursed under his breath. He turned around quickly, putting his right hand over her mouth and lifting her up slightly so her feet wouldn't drag. He walked backwards into a corner, pulling Meg with him. Meg struggled, but couldn't break free.

Christine and Raoul suddenly came into view, smiling and acting lovey dovey. They pranced down the stairs like they didn't have a care in the world. The Phantom waited for a minute as their laughter died down, before releasing her.

"She is mine; I am hers. She cannot belong to another."

"It's only her voice that you like so much, not actually her." The Phantom turned to look at her again, furious.

"And what makes you an expert?" he demanded.

"Well, you only seem to want to display her voice."

The Phantom looked at her thoughtfully. Meg looked past him, down the hallway.

"I have to go!" she said quickly. She tried to run past him, but he grabbed her arm, lightly though. She flinched in surprise and turned to look at him. He looked at her thoughtfully, as if he was trying to figure her out. He then let go of her arm, suddenly, turned on his heel, and disappeared into the shadows.


	2. As If Burned

**Let's see how this goes…**

A weeks later, Meg almost forgot about her encounter with the Phantom, as she was so focused on learning her dance steps for their second showing of _Hannibal_. Spectators had enjoyed _Hannibal_ so much that they were willing to pay double the price to see it. If happiness were water, Andre and Firmin were drowning in it.

They weren't the only ones though. Christine seemed more smiley than ever these days, as well as Raoul. However, they tried not to interact too much, lest they cause suspicion. This was the only thing that couldn't let Meg completely forget about the Phantom. She was the only one that seemed to notice a change in them since _Il Muto_. Meg didn't want to tell Christine she knew until Christine told her herself.

Meg was dancing alongside Christine, secretly studying her. _Doesn't she trust me? Am I not a good enough friend?_ _What _am _I to her?_ Meg tried to push these thoughts out of her head. They were doing her no good. She tried to go back to focusing on her dance steps.

When practice was over for the day, Christine approached Meg.

"Come to my dressing room after you change, Meg. I need to tell you something."

Meg tried to look surprised as she nodded. She went into the dressing room, quickly changing into a daily dress, as did Christine, and followed Christine to her dressing room.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Raoul and I are engaged!" Christine couldn't contain herself anymore; the door had hardly closed behind Meg before she told her. Again, Meg acted surprised.

"Really? That's great! I'm so happy for you, Christine! Raoul is a great guy! You two are perfect for each other!"

Christine took her friend's hands. "So, I have your blessing?"

"Of course, Christine!"

Christine embraced her.

"You're a true friend, Meg. You can visit us anytime in Paris!"

Now Meg was truly surprised.

"You mean, you're leaving the Opera House?" clear disappointment in her voice.

Christine's excitement died a little. She said in a softer voice, "I have to, Meg. It's the only way we can be happy. I never did tell you what happened the night I disappeared to his lair, did I? I couldn't get a hold of myself. His voice lured me into the mirror-"

"You mean_ that _mirror!" Meg interrupted, pointing to the tall mirror they were reflected in.

"Yes, but don't worry, the Angel, er, _Phantom_, hasn't visited in a while. I think he's busy composing something. Anyway-"

"Christine," Meg said worriedly, "do you think that your Angel knows about your engagement? I mean, he could be listening in even now."

"Don't worry so much, Meg!" Christine told her, "He hasn't talked to me in-" Christine stopped suddenly and paled.

"Meg?" she said timidly, "do you think he knows?" Christine whipped around to look at the mirror. She went up to it slowly, put her hand on it, and looked at her reflection. Suddenly, Christine jumped away from the mirror as if it had burned her. She turned around, grabbed Meg's hand, and ran out of the room.

"I need to find Raoul," she said hurriedly, "I need to leave tonight."


	3. Cloaked

**Hope you enjoy!**

Erik was strolling restlessly through the catacombs. He just could not be at ease knowing that his muse was going to marry that fop! He heard voices in the distance, which wasn't very strange, but there was no opera going on, and who could possibly be that loud? Erik pivoted and saw that his feet had led him to the transparent mirror, where so many beginnings were. The voices seemed to get louder as he approached. He slowly walked towards the mirror. The voices became more distinct.

"Christine!" a girl was shouting. Erik recognized that voice. It was that _girl_, the one she never mentioned. Christine's voice was loud for a minute, then everything went quiet. Erik went closer to the mirror, close enough to see the girls. That girl was staring at Christine with a worried expression. Christine herself didn't move.

"Meg?" she then said timidly, "do you think he knows?" Erik didn't need to be a genius to know that "he" referred to himself. Christine suddenly whipped around and approached the mirror slowly. Erik thought he should back away, but he didn't move. Christine put her hand on the mirror and stared out into the mirror. Her eyes widened, and she jumped away from the mirror quickly, turned around and dragged the confused and worried girl, _Meg_, towards the door. It was then that Erik heard the words he had been dreading:

"I need to find Raoul," she said worriedly, "I need to leave tonight."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

His brain began working in two different directions. One direction followed Christine's last words. The other focused on the girl's name. _Meg_. Why did that sound familiar?

Coming to his senses, Erik quickly ran through other catacombs to find Christine. He ran around and ended up hiding in the shadows outside the Opera House. Christine was holding onto the girl and the fop for dear life. The fop was calling a carriage. The girl was saying something frantically to both of them. The carriage was hailed. The pair got in the carriage. While they were distracted and not paying attention, Erik took a baton from his belt and quickly hit the girl on the head. He caught her before she hit the ground, trying to lessen the damage. He moved her into the shadows and climbed under the carriage, hanging onto it just as it began to move.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Erik didn't account for his cloak getting in the way, though, but it might have been a blessing for him. As soon as the carriage began to move, his cloak began to drag on the cobblestone in between the wheels. During a turn, the cloak moved sideways, allowing one of the wheels to move on top of it. With Erik still hanging, the wheel became slightly raised, causing the carriage to wobble dangerously. Even with his superior strength, Erik fell out from under the carriage, causing his cloak to tear away from his back. Erik rolled on the pavement as horses whinnied. He rolled, then jumped up and ran into an alleyway, trying to duck to cover his face.

Meanwhile, the carriage Christine and Raoul were in began to tilt to the left, because of the cloak. The driver tried to regain control of the carriage and his horses. The horses whinnied as they almost ran into other horses, who also whinnied at the sight of them. The driver pulled on the reins, as did every other driver near the rogue carriage, just barely managing to avoid an accident. The carriage landed firmly with four wheels on the cobblestone again as it shuddered to a stop.

There was silence for a moment. Then there were shouts and frantic movements as people tried to calm their horses and run towards the previously-tilted carriage. The driver jumped out of his seat and opened the door to let his shaken passengers out. They were alright, albeit shaken and distressed. Christine was crying and Raoul was shouting along with the others. There was such a commotion that police officers arrived in their carriages to investigate.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

An hour or two later, the hubbub had died down. Raoul decided that it was best for them to return to the Opera House on foot, as they didn't get very far before they almost crashed. Christine pleaded that he not take her back there, but Raoul assured her that they would try again when it was daylight and when carriage drivers actually knew how to drive. So, as Christine and Raoul reluctantly walked back to the Opera House, the driver ran up to them.

"Monsieur! You forgot your cloak!" Raoul turned around, eyebrows raised.

"_My _cloak? I didn't bring a cloak, you fool! I only came in this!"

"But, monsieur, surely it must be yours, for it cannot be becoming of your lady friend to wear it." The driver held the cloak up to Raoul, "It was stuck under my wheel. I think that's why it tilted."

"I assure you, it is not mine," Raoul said sternly.

"Please, just take it anyway. I don't know what to do with it." Raoul looked like he wanted to debate the matter, but one look from his still-distressed fiancée silenced him on the subject. He took it with a curt nod, and walked away with Christine.


	4. The Cloud

**Enjoy!**

Meg groaned. Her head was throbbing. She was cold. Was she outside? She opened her eyes. It was night out. Meg blinked. She groaned again. It was silent out. She blinked again. She saw the stars in the sky and a glare from one of the lampposts. She tried to sit up, but couldn't figure out how to without hurting herself, so she rolled to one side and pushed herself off the ground slowly. The throbbing became worse. Meg put a hand to her head and winced. It was so tender. She shivered. She turned her head where the light from the lamppost was coming from. The entrance to the Opera House was there. Meg slowly groped her way to the door and pulled it open. It was dark. No one was in sight. Through the throbbing, Meg thought it was pretty selfish of them to go to sleep when she went missing. She closed the door and shivered again. She was so cold! And how was she ever going to make it to her room?! She wasn't even sure in which direction her room was.

Meg decided that the ground would be her bed tonight. She found a wall and slid down to the floor. She closed her eyes and tried let her head rest. She didn't even want to think about what had happened tonight. She _couldn't_ think. Her head hurt too much. She shivered again. There was so much cold and pain. Meg wrapped her arms around herself, trying to rest.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Meg blinked against the sunlight. Her head was throbbing, but not as badly as before. She was warm. She opened her eyes. She was in her bed in the dormitory. How did she get here again? She didn't want to think right now.

"Oh, Meg!" a voice said near her. Meg turned her head to the left and saw Christine sitting next to her bed on a chair, looking worried.

"Meg, can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Meg, I was so worried!"

Meg tried to sit up. Christine helped her and readjusted her pillow. "What happened last night?"

"Raoul and I tried to escape and we almost died trying. All know is that this cloak," Christine held up a black cloak, "was under the wheel and was the cause of all the trouble."

"It's his," Christine said resignedly, "It must be his."

"It must have been him who hit me," Meg said, "I was watching you guys get into the carriage. Then I woke up out in the cold." Meg suddenly remembered the events from the previous night. "How did I get here?"

"I don't know. You were here when I woke up. This," Christine handed her an ice pack, "was next to you when I woke up."

"But I remember now! I was on the floor in the lobby!" Meg realized, "I fell asleep there."

"Someone must have found you and brought you here."

Thinking still hurt. "Christine? Where are you going to go now?"

Christine looked on the verge of tears, "I don't know if we'll ever leave."

While Meg didn't want her friend to leave, she wanted her friend to be safe from the masked stalker. "Why don't you negotiate terms with him?"

"He won't see reason. He'll never let me go. He told me so himself in this note," Christine brandished a letter. She read it aloud:

_Mlle. Christine Daae,_

_I will not allow you to part with me. I am yours. Your heart cannot belong to another. We shall make music the world will cherish forever._

_Your Angel of Music_

"He's deranged." Meg said, astonished.

Christine then broke down in tears. Now it was Meg's turn to be worried. She reached over and put her arms around her friend, trying to comfort her.

"I wish there was something I could do," Meg said sadly.

Christine looked at her. Then she looked down at the cloak, then back at her.

"Maybe," she said slowly, "_you_ can talk to him."

"But you just told me he can't see reason!"

"He can't see it against me and Raoul, but _you_, well, he doesn't even know you!" Meg had to hold back a snort as she begged to differ in her head. However, Meg wanted to be a good friend and do what she could for Christine.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Oh, thank you, Meg!" Christine said, hugging her, "The mirror in my room. There's a path behind it. If you keep going straight, you'll eventually get there. Take this to him," Christine handed her the cloak, "when you feel better, of course. Try to reason with him for me. Or at the very least, buy us time. Otherwise, it'll never end until one of us is dead."

It was as if Christine was enveloping her in a cloud of guilt. She couldn't refuse.

"I'll go tonight. I'll do what I can."


	5. This is Me

**Enjoy!**

As Meg was walking with the Phantom's cloak clutched in her hand later that night, she was beginning to regret being a good friend. Why did she have to do this? _Well, love is blind_, she supposed. And she would have been freaked out about him anyway, even if Raoul hadn't come into the picture. Still, Meg didn't think a good friend would send their recently-concussed friend into the sewers to find a masked man who recently murdered a man. Or maybe she was just behind the times.

Even with the torch in her one hand, it seemed to get harder to see the further she went down. She heard running water and groaned. Christine seemed to leave out the one _minor_ detail about the lake. There was no boat. Her head throbbed dully. _Here goes nothing._

She put one foot into the water. It was cold! She gritted her teeth, put the other foot in, and began to walk. It came up to her knees. She didn't want to think about what could be in that water.

As Meg walked on, she wondered if she would come out alive. What if he decided to Punjab her? But she decided that he could have done that at their last two encounters, so she still had a chance.

After a while, she saw light. She then realized that there were at least a hundred candles lighting up the place. It was filled with an assortment of things, the most noticeable of which was an organ, where a man was sitting, playing softly.

"Um…excuse me?" Meg said in a raised voice. The Phantom turned around quickly in surprise. Of course, he never got any visitors, so he certainly wasn't expecting her to show up at his doorstep. He got up from the organ and pulled a lever. Meg jumped back as the door creaked loudly and slowly began to open. Meg tried to raise her hand at the level of her eyes, but it was hard to do without setting her hair on fire, so she gave up the attempt. She walked slowly into the lair and stopped near the gate.

"Um…monsieur, I have something of yours," she raised the cloak in his direction. His eyes widened.

"Why are you always meddling in other people's affairs? Go back, girl!"

"I'll just place it here," Meg said, as if he hadn't spoken. She walked over to the side of the lake and placed it down on the ground. She then looked up at him. Surely, she had given Christine and Raoul enough time to try to get away by now.

"Have a good night," she said, turning around and walking away. The gate began to creak closed. Meg froze, becoming afraid. _Why_ couldn't it ever be that easy?

"You just told me to leave."

"I'm curious now. Come and talk with me."

"I-I'll think I'll just talk from here, thanks."

"I'm not going to hurt you." Meg held back a snort at that. _That_ was the reason why she was down her in the first place, because he had hurt her. It's what caused all this mess. Well, some of it at least. Meg turned around. He was still standing in front of the organ.

"I can't trust you," she said simply.

"You'll have to; otherwise, the gate's not opening."

Meg became truly downcast. She was afraid of that. Why, oh, why did she put herself in these situations?

Noticing her change in attitude, the Phantom pulled up a chair for her near his piano seat. Meg slowly walked out of the water, dragging her feet along. Maybe, he would get bored waiting for her and let her go. She stepped onto land and slowly walked up to him. _Well,_ she thought, _if he tries to Punjab me, I still have my torch. _

"Here, I'll take that," he said. He seemed to think he was doing her a favor by taking it and placing it in a holder on the wall, but now Meg mourned the loss of her weapon and her means of sight to make a jailbreak. Her head throbbed again.

"Won't you sit down?" he said politely, indicating the chair he pulled out for her.

She sat down reluctantly. Her head throbbed and she rubbed it gently.

"How's your head?" he said, noticing this action.

"So, it _was_ you."

"Of course. Who else would've done it?"

Meg tried to avoid rubbing her head again.

"I know why you're here. You're here to buy time for Christine and that fop."

Meg suddenly felt very tired. How could she be feeling tired in front of the _Phantom_?!

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do."

"You're just a stalker."

"So you admit it's true."

"Admit what's true?"

"She sent you here and you did what she told you like a good friend. We're outcasts, you and I. We're not needed in the world."

"I have my purpose in life. I am needed."

"In the Opera House. As am I. We are very similar, you and I."

"If you say so."

"I do say so."

"All right, then."

The Phantom studied her closely. Meg was just tired and wanted to go back to bed. She looked past him.

"You know, you're a lot different from Christine," he said slowly, "She was completely hypnotized by me and would've taken off my mask by now. Not that that's an invitation," he added.

"Let's get one thing straight, Mr. Phantom," she said suddenly, looking into his eyes, "I am _not_ Christine. I may be her friend, but I have no intention of doing what she did to you because I am a different person. Now would you _please_ let me go so I can rest my concussed self in bed?"

He looked a little surprised at the ferocity of her words. Then, his eyes narrowed.

"I never said you were Christine. I was only making a comparison. But if my presence upsets you so much, you may go."

Now he was just putting words in her mouth. But she frankly didn't care at this point.

"Ok," she stood up and walked towards the now-opening gate.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Meg turned around to see the Phantom holding her torch out to her. Meg took it, mumbled a thanks, and was about to begin her hike home when –

"Wait," the Phantom said, "Get in the boat. I'll take you."

Meg was surprised, but did as he said. As it turned out, taking the boat made the journey much faster. He took her hand and helped her out of the boat, then quickly got in and went back to his lair.


	6. Taken

**Enjoy!**

Meg had put the torch back in the holder on the wall and groped the last few feet to the mirror, slowly pulling it open and closing it behind her. What did the Phantom mean, that they were similar? She was nothing like him! _She_ wasn't the one that sabotaged her best friend's escape.

Meg suddenly remembered the reason why she went down there in the first place. She ran to the dormitory. It was late at night now, as Meg had left for the lair in the evening. She opened the dorm door to find two empty beds. Meg was both happy and sad to see that Christine wasn't there. Was she not good enough for Christine anymore? Is love really blind or just ignorant?

Meg shook her head, trying to shake her doubts away.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Meg woke up the next morning with her head pounding. Sunlight streamed into her empty dorm room. She felt a sudden wave of loneliness hit her. _I should really get some new friends so I won't be lonely all the time_. She looked over to the left at Christine's empty bed and saw a folded piece of paper lying on top of it. Confused, she slowly got herself out of the bed and walked towards her friend's bed. The letter was addressed to her.

_Maybe Christine left it for me. _But when she opened it, her heart sunk. It wasn't from Christine. But then…who….?

Meg's eyes widened. _The Phantom!_ The letter politely stated to tell her the whereabouts of Christine and her _fiancé _or there would be consequences. Not that she would tell him if she knew anyway, but Meg didn't remember her friend ever telling her where she was going. Granted, she was recently concussed. All she remembered Christine saying was that she needed to "leave" or "escape." She didn't exactly shout out, "Raoul and I are heading to 105 Paris Street on French Avenue" in front of the mirror her tormentor stalked her. Shaking her head, she crumpled up his letter and promptly threw it away, then she went down to join the other girls and begin the day's dance lesson.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Meg concentrated so hard on dancing that day, thanks to her concussion and sincere desire to do better, that she'd actually forgotten about the Phantom's existence, which was a feat. All she could think of doing was where to place her feet and when to raise what arm when, and when to jump, and who she was near. True, Christine wasn't there, but she was focusing so hard, she hardly noticed. She and Christine weren't talkers in class, so they were usually entranced in their own little world of dancing.

When the lesson was over at the end of the day, Meg and the others slowly made their way back to the dressing room. She felt extremely sore, but it felt good, like she had accomplished something.

"Meg?" a girl asked, next to her. Meg turned to look at her. She had long, wavy brown hair and pale skin. She recognized her immediately.

"Fantine," Meg said warmly to her, "How was practice for you today?"

"It was alright, Meg, and you?" she asked. She'd always been so polite and kind.

"Yes, for me, I think it was ok."

"But you seemed to be in pain today, Meg. Are you ok?"

"To be honest, I hit my head pretty hard recently. It'll get better though."

"Oh, Meg, you know you shouldn't dance when you're injured!"

She begged her to lower her voice before whispering, "It's really not that bad."

Her friend shook her head, "I wish you would take care of yourself more." Meg was really surprised she'd said this. She supposed that this was one girl who was more observant than she was. They walked into the dormitory and changed, however, Meg was a little slower than the others today.

"Do you need me to wait for you?" Fantine asked her.

"No, no, don't worry about me, I'll be out in a minute."

Her friend gave her a small smile, "Well, if you need me, I'll be with Helene." Upon seeing Meg's confusion, she clarified, "You know, Helene Auberjonois?" Meg then remembered a spunky girl with curly, blonde hair. She was a little shocked that Fantine would like this sort of girl. Fantine seemed to guess what she was thinking.

"She may seem a bit wild, but she's a very nice person, Meg."

"Oh, yes, I believe it!" she reassured her friend, earnestly. They said they're goodbyes and she left. When she'd finished changing, Meg left the room. Apparently, someone had forgotten she was still there, because the lights were turned out. She rubbed her throbbing head and groped her way to the place she'd knew the door would be, holding her hands out in front of her like the walking dead. She ran her hands along the walls, suddenly crashing into something solid. Meg gasped and gasped again as the solid object put his hands on her arms.

"Hello, Meg. Where is Christine?" Suddenly, the events of the previous days flooded back to her and her head throbbed. Meg looked up at him, his mask barely visible in the darkness, but his eyes, twinkling. _Maybe this is why he likes the darkness so much,_ Meg mused, _I can't tell that he's wearing a mask._

"Monsieur," she said, firmly, looking him square in the eye, "I really, positively, absolutely, and most certainly do _not_ know where Christine is. She didn't tell me. I cannot help you."

"_Oh_, but I think you can, Mademoiselle!"

"I _really _doubt that."

"_Well_," he mused, mockingly, draping his right arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him, and walking slowly towards the door, "suppose I _happened_ to endanger one of Mlle Daae's dear friends. Do you think she would return for dear friend before dear friend gave helpful information or after?"

"Well," began Meg, shakily, tensing, "Christine would not come back for dear friend until her life was in order and dear friend would not be able to give you more information than what is already stated." Her head! Meg clutched at it. Maybe Fantine was right. Maybe she should take better care of herself.

"Why don't we put that to the test, shall we?" She turned to him, and drew a breath, about to protest, stating that, "No, why don't we _not _put that to the test," when a cloth was put over her mouth just as she inhaled, consequently breathing in sweet scents.

_No!_ her mind screamed. She shut her mouth firmly and held her breath, struggling to break free of him. The arm that was around her shoulders drew her to his chest as his free hand pressed the cloth more firmly to her face. It was getting really hard to keep holding her breath now. She was either going to pass out from not breathing or pass out _from_ breathing. Still, she struggled, attempting to knee him. It was a successful attempt by the sound of the Phantom's grunt and his bending over in pain. However, his grip on her did not loosen; in fact, it tightened, pressing the chloroform into her face with such fury that it was hurting her jaw. He smushed her impossibly closer to his chest, tilting her head up. Black spots began to dance in front of eyes. Still, she would not give up. She would _not_ be taken, not by him.

Tears began to stream down her face from her lack of air. She jerked in his arms like a fish out of water, flailing her legs, in a attempt to kick him again, but she couldn't bend her knees.

"You're a feisty one, aren't you, Meg?" Suddenly, he removed his hand and the cloth from her face. In relief, Meg took a deep breath of air, becoming light-headed. She could hardly register her mistake as the Phantom shoved the cloth at her open mouth. This time, she couldn't resist. She was already light-headed from almost passing out and light-headed from her gulp of air and now she was light-headed from the sickly scents emanating from the chloroform as she slumped and blacked out.


	7. Returns

**Hope you enjoy.**

Chime sounds. That's what she heard. Chime sounds. Very soft, though, but they were there. Meg suddenly became aware of it. _Ding, ding, ding_. It wasn't annoying, it was pretty, but she kinda wanted to sleep more. And amazingly, the sounds started to fade and she was lulled back to sleep.

The next thing she was aware of was the sound of swishing water. It sounded like a boat was docking. Meg lay on her bed in that numb state of mostly asleep, feeling like she was going to fall back asleep. But then, she took a deep breath, feeling a sudden need to breathe, and suddenly, she felt more aware. The sounds of the boat docking seemed to get louder. She was aware she was lying in a bed. She slowly opened her eyes. She realized that she was in the room that Christine had once described to her, with curtains and the music box. She took in another deep breath, remembering what had happened. The Phantom had kidnapped her because he'd believe she'd be useful in finding Christine. But, that wasn't going to happen.

Meg sighed, slowly swinging her legs off the bed and standing up. She felt a little dizzy, but that was about it. She slowly walked over to the doorway and drew back the curtain, seeing the Phantom sitting a writing desk across the lake, writing something. She decided to be quiet, not wanting to disturb him. She began to walk around the lake and saw a dummy of Christine in a wedding dress. She raised an eyebrow at it. Just _how_ obsessed was this man with her friend? She walked until she got to the organ, examining it. He appeared to have been playing a song from _La Traviata._ Meg remembered that opera. It was about love and jealousy-

"So, you're awake," the Phantom's voice cut in. Meg jumped and turned to him. He was still sitting at the desk, but he was staring at her.

"Monsieur, I really don't know the whereabouts of Christine. I don't know what you plan to do with me here, but you still won't find out where she is from me."

He studied her for a moment, then he stood up slowly, using his hands to push off of his knees and sighing, "Well, if you really don't know where she is, I can always use you as hostage as incentive for her to come back."

"Monsieur, I am just her friend, nothing more. I'm not the love of her life. She wouldn't come back for me."

"She'll come back if she knows what's good for you." Meg stopped talking then. It was pointless. She knew Christine loved her, but when you're talking romance and friendship, who wouldn't choose romance? She believed that if Christine ever did come back for her, or even, to rejoin the Opera House, it wouldn't be for a long time. She fought the urge to cry in frustration, but she strangely felt very detached from the whole thing, as if the chloroform had numbed her.

The Phantom gathered up his papers, sealed them in an envelope, and put them in his cloak.

"What are they?" she asked him. He glared at her, "None of your concern." She resisted the urge to give him a face, lest he attacked her again. "Can I send letters?"

"And have people come after you here? Absolutely not."

"But, they will start to worry about me, anyway!"

"Who would worry about you, Meg? You have no family!"

Suddenly, it dawned on her. He didn't know her last name. She didn't know if this was a good thing or not. And on one hand, she wanted to send a letter to Fantine, telling her not to worry, even though that might make her worry even more. On the other hand, if the Phantom read her letter, Fantine would become inadvertently involved.

"Then what am I supposed to do while I'm down here?"

"Stay put."

She must have let her frustration show, because his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Be thankful that I don't throw you in the torture chamber." And with that, he swished his cloak, pulled the lever and got back in his boat.

"I thought you just docked?"

He looked back at her and smirked, raising an eyebrow, "That was an hour ago. You've been out for 12 hours." Meg was shocked. She couldn't even remember the last time she slept that much. She watched as the Phantom departed, somehow closing the gate behind him through a way she didn't see. Meg watched and waited as he disappeared. She had to get out of here. On the one hand, if he caught her, she'd be dead. But on the other hand, she might end up dead staying here. She pulled the lever and slowly waded into the lake. It was still just as cold as the last time. Meg felt around the rocks along the wall, where she had seen him, and found a switch that operated the gate. She then waded through the lake for what felt like forever, before finally stepping onto the stone.

Now she had a problem. She didn't notice the first time she went down here, but there were a lot more pathways than before. She didn't know which one to take. She chose one at random and made her way, picking up a torch along the wall. She met a couple of dead ends, but eventually found what appeared to be a trap door, but it was high up, as the Phantom was taller than her. She jumped and jumped and eventually budged the doors. Luckily, the doors fell inward, so she could grab onto the doors to help her up.

Meg made her way up and realized that she was on the stage. She got a bad feeling about there being a trap door connecting the Phantom to here. She hoisted herself up. It was dark again, like the night she was kidnapped. Feeling a sense of déjà vu, she blindly ran towards the doorway, thanking Heaven she found an illuminated hallway.

"Meg!" someone called out, frightening her. Meg turned around.

"Mother!" she returned, embracing her. Madame Giry pulled her into her room.

"Oh, Meg, I was so worried! I thought he'd kidnapped you!"

"He did, Mother, but I escaped! I can't help him with Christine! He may be up here even now-!"

"Your guess is correct," a voice said, from a darkened corner. Meg jumped and her blood froze as she recognized the Phantom, his mask the only visible accessory.

"So," he continued, "you really were a Giry all this time." Meg suddenly felt like she'd been set up. Why else would the Phantom choose the moment she was watching to leave?

"You're in cahoots?!" she exclaimed, rounding on her mother, "How could you?! After all the _murders_-!"

"He's the one who owes me," her mother stated, calmly, "I will explain another time." Meg was still infuriated, but let it pass. She rounded on the Phantom.

"Christine will never come back!" she spat at him, "Not for anyone! So, why don't you just _give up_!"

He glared at her as her mother admonished her, but she didn't care. He stood up slowly.

"She'll come back, all right," he stated, "I'll just have to lay low for a while. Farewell, Madame, Mademoiselle," vanishing promptly before them with a swish of his cloak. That made her even angrier. There was a trap door here, too?!

"Why don't you find the other girls, Meg? They're all worried about you."

Meg didn't say a word as she left the room, slowly making her way up the dorm steps. When she entered, all the girls crowded around her.

"Meg! Oh, Meg! What happened? Are you alright? Was it _him_?! Where did you go?!"

"Let her be," a shy voice said. Meg looked towards the sound of the voice. It was Fantine. They smiled at each other.

"Oh, come on, she probably didn't even _see_ the ghost!" a girl she recognized as Helene said, as the girls began to back off.

"I saw the ghost," she told her, but directing her words to everyone, "He took me to his lair because he-" she hesitated, not wanting to say anything that could cause her friend trouble, _if_ she ever came back, "because he was lonely."

Some of the girls snorted in disbelief, while others looked at her with sympathy and awe, mainly Fantine. And with that, Christine was never mentioned again. Practice went on as usual with no sudden appearances from the Phantom. Maybe he really was going to lay low after all. Meg spent a lot of her time with Fantine, and even some of the other girls, like Sorelli. She found Fantine was easy to talk to, though she didn't want to tell her _everything_, lest that somehow get her involved. Eventually though, mid-winter came. The masquerade ball was soon approaching.

One morning, the girls were practicing their ballet once more, when a young, blond man walked up to Madame Giry and the managers and began talking in low tones. Whispers erupted from the girls.

"Who do you think he is?" they all asked, "He's so handsome!" Meg was suddenly reminded of the first time she had seen Raoul. Fantine, however, quickly turned away from him.

"What's wrong, Fantine?" Meg asked her.

"It's just that, all of the girls are fawning over him and it seems rude to stare."

"You're right," and they continued dancing as if the stranger wasn't there.

"Wow, Meg, you're dancing like a professional now!" a familiar voice told her. She whipped her head around and couldn't believe her eyes.

"_Christine!_" she practically shouted, running to her and embracing her. All the girls began to crowd around with questions.

"I thought I was never going to see you again!"

"I know, Meg, I'm sorry, I just had to lay low for a while."

_I'll just have to lay low for a while._ That's what _he_ had said. What could all this mean?

"We wouldn't miss the masquerade ball that easily!" another familiar voice said. Meg let go of her friend and saw Raoul, calming down a smaller group of girls.

"Oh, Christine," Meg said, taking Fantine's arm lightly, "This is Fantine. Do you know her?"

"Yes, I've talked to her a few times. It's nice to see you again," she told her, sincerely.

"Same to you, Christine!" Fantine replied. Meg and Fantine backed out of the forming crowd around Christine. The young, blond man was talking to another group of girls that began shamelessly flirting with him, since everyone knew how connected the Vicomte and the chorus girl were.

"Yes, yes, they were actually staying at my place for a while," he told them. After some more talking and flirting (from the girls), the man was finally alone. Meg took this as her opportunity to pounce, Fantine behind her.

"Christine and Raoul were with you?" she asked, point-blank. He blinked in surprise, but affirmed yes.

"You must be Meg Giry. Christine did mention she had a close friend here." Meg couldn't help, but beaming. _And you, the one she never mentioned!_ That'll prove the Phantom wrong! The man turned to Fantine.

"And who might you be, mademoiselle?"

Her friend blushed slightly, but held out her hand, "I'm Fantine Binoche."

He took her hand and slowly kissed it, making her blush more. "It's very nice to meet you both," he said, earnestly, "I'm Rene Fiennes. Monsieur de Chagny knew me through his brother, Phillipe, when he lived in Paris. I, of course, opened my home to them. This Opera Ghost stuff seems like very scary business."

"Will you be safe here, monsieur?" Fantine asked him, quietly, "This ghost-he kidnaps young women and kills young men!"

Rene smiled sadly, "I will do my best to stay out of his way, then." Meg held back a snort, thinking that if any man _didn't_ stay out of the Phantom's way in regards to Christine and the _fop_, as he'd called him, it was this man.

"Class dismissed!" Madame Giry announced. The girls began to disperse. Rene and Fantine were still talking quietly, so Meg went over to Christine.

"Oh, Christine, I'm so glad you've returned!"

"I am too, Meg! The Angel seems to have disappeared! Maybe things will return to normal after all!"

"I really do hope so!"

"Oh, Meg, Madame Giry told me what happened! Are you alright?"

"Of course, Christine! I will never lose to _him_!" Christine shuddered.

"It's nice to see you again, Mademoiselle," said Raoul, joining them.

"Same to you, Vicomte."

"I will see you later, Christine," he said. They said they're goodbyes and departed. Meg and Christine, being the only ones left onstage, quickly made their way to their dorm.

"You're not staying with the patron?" Meg asked her. Her friend laughed.

"We aren't _married_, Meg, even if we are-!" she began, but then stopped herself, looking around furtively, "It would cause too many rumors to be with a man, unmarried."

"Yes, I agree," Meg told her. When they entered their dorm, they engaged in light conversation with the other girls. Meg was just beginning to worry that she hadn't seen Fantine in a while, when she suddenly came in.

"Where have you been?" one of the girls asked her.

"_I_ know," another girl said, "Monsieur Fiennes hasn't stopped flirting with her!" This was not said maliciously, as the girls began to engage her in conversation about "what to do when a guy likes you," regardless of Fantine's blushing protests that he was just being friendly. After some time though, they all grew tired and went to bed, excited about the upcoming masquerade.


	8. Trouble

**Hope you enjoy!**

A few days before the masquerade, all of the girls went out shopping for dresses and masks, comparing dresses to ones that others have bought. Meg, Christine, and Fantine all did this too. Meg and Fantine told their friend that no matter what she wore, the Vicomte would love her, to which Christine blushed fervently. Fantine was having a fun time too, and Meg and Christine told her that Rene would fall head over heels for her, to which she turned bright red, saying, "No, no, no, he's just a friend, only a friend."

But it didn't seem that way to Meg, Christine, and the others. At first, Meg could see that what others might interpret as flirting might actually be just friendliness and kindness to the shy, but kind Fantine. However, while he and Raoul both watched occasional ballet practices, Meg noticed that he only had eyes for Fantine, just as Raoul only had eyes for Christine, despite flirtatious attempts from the other girls. In a way, Meg felt a little jealous and lonely that her two good friends both had men in their lives, but she brushed away those feelings as irrelevant.

Some nights, Fantine would be the last to appear in the dormitory, always trying to sneak in, but rarely succeeding. At first, the others wouldn't leave her alone about it, saying that she was doing something scandalous with Rene, but they eventually listened to her many excuses and protests and left her alone. Meg was curious about this, but it didn't seem like a big deal. After all, Christine occasionally spent her alone time with Raoul and away from the others, so why couldn't Fantine do the same with her friend?

Another night, after their rendition of _La Traviata_, Raoul was waiting for Christine with a bouquet of flowers, to which she smiled and thanked him. This didn't seem odd, until, further along, Rene appeared next to Fantine with an even bigger bouquet, to which all the girls erupted in immature "Oooh's!" Meg wished they would just leave her alone. Fantine smiled and blushed as well. Despite feeling it rude to stare, Meg couldn't help observing the two. The way he looked down at her, (being taller), and the way she beamed up at him, Meg couldn't deny that they weren't more than friends. They looked exactly like Christine and Raoul.

On the night of the masquerade, the girls excitedly changed into their dresses and headed down to the lobby where the party was being held. Meg went happily along with Christine and Fantine, but began to feel like the third wheel upon seeing Raoul and Rene. Despite her friends' worries that she'd be left by herself, Meg quickly reassured them and went off to find something to do. She found Sorelli and struck up a pleasant conversation with her, eventually adding Juliette, Marie, and Celine, other ballet girls, into their conversation. Eventually, some of the girls dispersed to danced, leaving Meg with Juliette and Marie. At some point, though, her mother came over, striking up a conversation with her. Meg excused herself from the girls and quickly joined her mother in another area, talking about the different performances the Opera House has done. Then, it happened.

The lights went out. Meg thought this was strange: surely this wasn't part of the ball? Her suspicions were confirmed as a few people began to scream and run down the stairs, causing more screams. Meg looked up the stairs to find the source of the trouble. It was a man in a white mask and red costume, looking like Red Death, himself. She paled suddenly. It was _him_. How could she have forgotten _him_?

"Oh, no, Erik," her mother breathed beside her.

He smiled wickedly upon everyone, reveling in their fear as they began walking down the staircase, slowly. He gave orders and, quite literally, poked fun at Piangi and the managers. However, his whole demeanor changed when he looked over at Christine. Meg looked around for her friend and found her not far off from where she was, frozen and pale, caught in the eyes of a snake, next to a pale, but angry Raoul.

"As for our star, Miss Christine _Daae_." Meg shuddered. Did he purposely put emphasis on her last name, given where the Vicomte was standing? As he continued to talk, she felt increasingly afraid. He wanted to perform a sensual opera with Christine as the star! Meg had no idea what he could be planning. He eventually halted, though, and only began walking again when Christine began walking towards him. Meg watched in frozen horror as they moved closer and closer. No one seemed to be breathing.

They were so close to each other now, staring into each other's eyes, when, eventually he looked down into some area near her cleavage and stared at it for a few seconds. Meg suddenly felt angry. How dare he be such a pervert! She was just about to shout at him, when he angrily snatched Christine's necklace from her throat.

"Your chains are still _mine_! You belong to _me_!" And with that, he spun on his heel, moving further up the steps, leaving Christine in her frozen horror. Meg wondered what he was doing until he burst into flame and disappeared! Everyone began screaming, and screamed even more when they saw Raoul angrily run up the stairs, a sword in hand, and disappear after him.

"Christine!" Meg called to her, leaving her mother and running up to her friend, still frozen in place. She grabbed her shoulders.

"C'mon, Christine, we need to go back to the dorm!"

"He found out, Meg," her friend said quietly, trembling, "He knows I'm engaged. I'm doomed."

Meg didn't know what to say to this. Suddenly, an arm wrapped itself around Christine's shoulders and slowly moved her down the stairs. It was Rene.

"We need to move, Miss Daae," he said softly.

"I can't believe he showed up here! What is he planning?" said Fantine, who Meg realized was next to her.

"I don't know, but it can only mean one thing," Meg said, solemnly, "Trouble."


	9. How?

**Hope you enjoy!**

It was all tension after the ball. The managers were stressing out at putting on _Don Juan_. Carlotta was flipping out that she had the smallest role, while Christine had the largest, and Madame Giry was pushing the ballet girls harder than ever. Raoul and Rene didn't even come by practices anymore; they were too busy discussing Christine's part as Aminta. Life at the Opera House just wasn't fun anymore. However, Meg was grateful that the Phantom hadn't tried to abduct her since Christine went away. She thought that maybe it was because of his past history with her mother.

Fantine still walked into the dorm late, but not remotely as much as before, and as for Christine, she hardly saw Raoul since they had discussed that she'd take on the role. On that night, her friend had walked into the room and burst into tears, recounting what she and the Vicomte had agreed upon, which made Meg angry and frustrated. Another night, Christine woke Meg up and they began walking along the Opera House, while her friend told her about the fiasco at her father's grave. Meg felt terrible for Christine, and terrible for herself, and terrible for everyone at the Opera House. _Well_, she thought, ruefully, _maybe it'll all get better after _Don Juan.

Finally though, the big night came. Armed guards were positioned at every door, and Raoul, Rene, and the managers seemed to have a secret understanding. Everyone was extremely nervous to the point of panic attacks, at which Madame Giry had to reassure the girls as best she could. Fantine, however, looked the palest.

"Fantine, are you alright? You look awful!"

"I'm just so scared, Meg, and I've not been feeling well, lately." Meg felt like a bad friend for not noticing sooner. She had been spending most of her time comforting Christine.

"I'm sorry. You should really take better care of yourself," she chided, half-jokingly, remembering her friend's advice when they first met. She smiled, wryly and agreed.

Soon, they were onstage. Piangi was playing Don Juan, while his friend was playing Passerino, both who were plotting to seduce Aminta, Christine's role. Piangi bellowed in laughter at what he just said and exited. Meg and the others watched from the sidelines, tired from all of their dancing, but hardly noticing. Christine was singing for the first time tonight. She was doing a pretty good job.

"Master," Passerino said, bowing.

"Passerino," Don Juan replied, "Go away for the trap is set and waits for its prey." Passerino left. Meg furrowed her brow. Piangi's voice sounded different. As he got further into the light, she noticed he was taller and more muscular. Meg gasped as she put it all together. He had crashed his own opera! Christine realized it too, for she had looked at him and closed her eyes, as if mentally preparing herself. The show had to go on, and she played her role very well, pretending that she was singing with Piangi. Through her fear, Meg wondered why the Phantom had chosen Piangi for the role, if he was just going to burst in, anyway. Maybe it was because of Carlotta. Meg mentally nodded to herself. It all made sense. He still hadn't forgiven her for _Il Muto_.

They slowly approached the bridge and embraced. Meg noticed her mother looked like she was going to be sick. She also noticed Fantine and some of the other girls had covered their mouths in horror. Then, Meg heard the Phantom say Christine's name, completely blowing what little cover he had. Suddenly, he was passionately declaring his love for her.

"Anywhere you go, let me go too! Christine, that's all I ask of-!" But he never finished, as Christine ripped his mask off, exposing his gruesome face. Everybody screamed, even her. Some of them got up and ran. The Phantom looked at Christine in such utter betrayal that Meg felt for him. However, what he did next made her heart skip a beat. He looked up at the ceiling, towards the chandelier, pulled out a knife and slashed at a rope, causing a deafening crack to be heard from the ceiling. The chandelier was falling! Meg was so entranced in it, that the next thing she knew, he and Christine were falling through the stage. Meg screamed and screamed and everyone began running. Her mother grabbed hold of her, and Meg grabbed hold of Fantine and they all began running.

"Rene!" Fantine screamed, "Where is Rene?!"

"I don't know, but we have to keep running!" Meg shouted back at her. They ran into Raoul, who began shouting at her mother. Her mother then agreed to take him to the Phantom's lair.

"I'll come with you!" Meg told them. She had to find Christine!

"No, Meg, no! You stay here! Come with me, monsieur! Do as I say!" she told her daughter, leaving her staring after her. Meg felt people crash into her and began holding them back. Suddenly, she saw Fantine a little farther away.

"Fantine!" she shouted at her, "Don't go back there!" For the whole stage area had erupted into flames and was beginning to chase them. Meg abandoned the crowd and ran to her friend, grabbing her arm.

"No, you can't-!"

"I have to!" Fantine shouted at her. Meg had never seen her look so desperate and determined, "I'm carrying his child!" Meg was shocked into silence and Fantine took that opportunity to break free of her and run back against the crowd. She watched her go, feeling despair, and then felt herself get knocked about by the audience. Suddenly, she felt determined. She had to find Christine. She quickly ran towards Christine's dressing room, remembering that her friend had once told her that she was taken through there. She found the mirror wide open and heard angry shouts from within. Meg quickly followed them. Multiple crowds had formed, each going a different way. She had no idea which way to go. The only way she got out of his lair the last time was through the trapdoor on stage, which was now on fire. Meg set off, joining different crowds and shouting for her friend, praying she'd be alright.

Meg was beginning to despair. _Where was Christine?! _Eventually though, someone shouted, "Over here!" and they all ran towards his voice, finding the lake and quickly wading their way through it. When they got to the gate, they discovered it was raised and the lair was empty. Everyone quickly began to investigate, shouting for Christine. Meg wandered around, not knowing where to look. She hadn't had time to explore this place before she escaped. She wandered into the bedroom and noticed that, on the desk beside the monkey music box was the Phantom's mask. She knelt down and picked it up. He hadn't put on his mask? Was he still here? Meg suddenly had an idea. Even if he was here, Christine and Raoul were nowhere to be found. She took the mask back to the crowd.

"Have you found anything?" one of them asked her. She held up the mask.

"He's dead. I saw him. There's nothing left here." And there really wasn't. There was nothing left for the Phantom, now that Christine was gone. She handed one of them the mask. Everyone appeared convinced and slowly made their way out. She looked back one last time, noting the shattered mirrors and the Christine dummy without the wedding dress. Meg briefly wondered if he had married her, but then, why would the mirrors be shattered? Unless she rejected him, in which case, he would blame it on his face…

Meg turned away and quickly joined the others, wanting to leave that place behind. She wandered with the crowd for a long time, trying to find their way back, before someone shouted, "There's no way out! All the exits are burning! We can't get out!"

"There must be a way!" she shouted at him, quickly running in another direction, splitting away from the crowd. She stumbled and fell a few times, but kept running, knowing that there had to be a way out, or at least, desperately hoping. Christine and Raoul had found a way out, she believed. Well, _hadn't___they? Tears started streaming down her face as she kept wandering, feeling incredibly sore and tired. Suddenly, though, she noticed a little gate with an elevator attached to it. Meg was puzzled, but found a lever and the gate rose. She quickly stepped inside and pulled the lever that was inside, finding herself going up and up and up.

She stopped after a few minutes and stepped out of the elevator, noting that she was inside a small, dark room. She groped the walls of it, looking for a switch, and gladly found one, turning on an orange light and opening up the gate at the same time. She was outside, in a graveyard. Meg gasped in realization. Christine had said the Phantom had tried to take her in the graveyard. Could that mean…? Quickly, she ran out and walked down the steps. Looking back, she saw the name Daae printed on the tombstone. She felt sick. He had desecrated her father's grave?

It was so cold out. The snow had melted from New Year's, but it was still impossibly cold and it was late at night. Meg shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Although she was beginning to feel numb from the cold, she suddenly took in the events of hours ago. Where was everyone? Where were Christine and Raoul? Where was her mother? Where were Fantine and Rene? She began to cry, in her tiredness and loneliness. She began to slowly make her way back to the main part of the city, hardly sure about where that was in the night. She was so cold. She only had on her pants, flowy shirt, and boots from the performance. She struggled onwards, desperate to get out of the cold.

Eventually, she had managed to find buildings she recognized. She wandered along, becoming increasingly numb. Most people were sleeping, though some were awake, mainly men sharing a drink by stables. She thought she was seeing things when she glimpsed a light coming from a building. She tentatively knocked with a frozen fist and waited. A bishop answered the door, looking shocked.

"What are you doing out in the cold, my child? Come in, get yourself warm!"

"Oh, th-th-thank you, s-sir!" she stuttered, gratefully walking in and seating herself by the fire, trying to thaw herself out.

"What brings you here, so late at night?" he asked her, gently.

"The f-f-fire at the Opera House. I was a dancer there."

"Oh, heavens, child! _You_ were there! You must thank God you made it out alive! He has kept you safe!"

Meg nodded in agreement. The bishop brought her over some food and tea.

"You may sleep upstairs, for as long as you wish!"

"I can't thank you enough," she said quietly.

"You're quite welcome, but I do not require thanks. Please, make yourself comfortable here. You must be exhausted."

"That I am, indeed," she said, feeling the weariness in her bones. After finishing her meal, the bishop showed her her room. It was an elaborate room with an elegant four poster bed. The bishop walked over to a closet and showed her spare clothes for men and women that she could change into. After thanking him again, the bishop left her. Meg gratefully changed into a nightgown and sat on the bed. Why had this happened? Why did he crash the chandelier? Why did he haunt them at all? Meg knew all of these answers, of course: because he was deformed, because he was Christine's teacher, because Christine's parents died, because she rejected him. The real question she should be asking was _how_. _How_ could this have happened?

Meg sank into her pillows, feeling terrible and terrible despair. _How could this have happened?_ she thought, desperately again, as she closed her eyes and quickly drifted off.


	10. A New Life

**Hope you enjoy!**

Meg woke the next morning to the sunlight streaming through the windows. For a second, she didn't know where she was, but then, it all came flooding back to her: _Don Juan_, the chandelier crash, Christine's abduction, her separation from the Opera House. She began to cry softly, wishing for her mother and her friends. _Why?! How?!_

After a few minutes, she slowly got out of the bed and went to the closet, and picked out a simple dress and dressed herself, not really caring what she looked like today. From the look of the sun's position in the sky, Meg presumed she'd slept in late, the second time she'd recently done so and woken up in a place she wasn't familiar with. She cautiously went down the stairs and found a breakfast set out for her, as well as a note from the bishop saying that he was conducting a Mass in the church. Meg gratefully sat and ate, slowly becoming more awake. When she was just about finished, the bishop appeared from his Mass.

"Good morning, mademoiselle. I trust you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you so much for providing me lodging."

He waved her off, "It is no trouble at all, my dear. But, may I ask, what do you plan to do now?"

She shrugged, feeling more worried than she let on, "I'm not sure. I haven't got any money."

The bishop held up his index finger, disappeared into a room for a minute, and came back with a tiny coin purse, offering it to her. Meg waved him off and protested that she couldn't take the money, but he insisted so much that she accepted, thinking it polite to do so.

"You need this money more than I do at the moment," he said, matter-of-factly, "It will come in handy, soon. And I recently helped out a young man who was in a similar state to the one you're in. I hope I helped him out. Now, please," he said, gesturing upstairs, "if you're going to find new lodgings, please take some clothes with you. I have plenty of donations coming in. No, no, no, I insist!" he told her, before she could protest. Meg thanked him profusely, and went upstairs and began to pack a suitcase she found in her room with various dresses.

When she came back downstairs again, she couldn't thank him enough for his generosity. The bishop merely smiled.

"God smiles upon you, child. God bless you!" And with that, she thanked him again and took her leave of the place, suitcase in hand and coin purse safely stored away, looking for a suitable place for a job and lodgings. The only thing Meg knew though was ballet and a secondary education. She supposed she could become a governess or join a theater troupe.

She wandered around for a while, trying to find that suitable place. She saw various types of people during the day, including rogues and law officials. But after a while, it really was like God was smiling upon her, for she found a sign on a building that read, "Théâtre-Italien." Bracing herself, Meg went in and found a middle-aged lady at a counter. She told her her situation and said that she was an excellent ballet dancer. The lady nodded and said that they did have a ballet troupe here that she could join, and also lodgings. She thanked her, signed up, and took her belongings to her new dorm. The girls she met were relatively nice and went by names such as Jeanne and Annabelle. They introduced themselves and told each other their stories of how they each arrived here. When Meg said that she was from the Opera House, all of the girls gasped and asked her rapid-fire questions. She was reminded of when she came back from the Phantom's lair.

"But, the Opera House, practically all of it was burnt down! There are only a few rooms left, but everything is damaged and only some people escaped! However did you manage it?"

Meg decided not to tell them that she went into practically the sewers and escaped, but she did tell them that she got very lucky, which was true. And soon, Meg got used to life at the Théâtre-Italien. It was a lot different at first than the Opera House, though there were some Carlotta-type figures mixed in, there was only one manager there, a man named Jacque Peru. The ballet instructor, the woman at the counter, Madame Gigi instructed the girls very differently from her mother, but it was not necessarily bad.

Sometimes, Meg would go past the ruins of the Opera Populaire and shake her head with sadness and regret, but there was nothing to be done. People went inside from time to time trying to salvage items for auction. Other times, she would wander around and look for Christine, Fantine, their lovers, and her mother, but to no avail. This surprised her: surely, they wouldn't be far from Paris? Well, Christine and Raoul, maybe, but where could have Fantine and Rene gone? Meg didn't even want to think about what could have happened when she watched her disappear from her. She would shudder and move on.

On occasion, she would spot someone who looked fairly like Christine, Fantine, or any of the other ballet girls from the Opera House, but when she got a closer look, it would be someone she had never seen. Eight years passed in this fashion, dancing at the Théâtre-Italien and searching for her long-lost friends. When Madame Gigi became too old to teach during the first three years, Meg was elected to take over. She had a fairly good knowledge of ballet by this time, and would try to combine the techniques of Madame Gigi and her mother, sometimes throwing her own into the mix. She would sometimes think about contacting Christine and Fantine, but there had been no time for the exchange of addresses, and they never appeared in any newspapers.

Other than that, she hardly thought about her old life. She had long ago accepted the fact that her mother had disappeared from her life, and as for the Phantom of the Opera, well, he just became a fable to her, an occurrence that happened when she was young. She lived a comfortable middle-class life, albeit lonely. She had never tried to fall in love, for every man she saw was either a scoundrel or a policeman. Besides, she wanted to stand on her own two feet, as she had been doing. She was beginning to remind herself of her mother, teaching ballet and living without a husband. She had never felt the need to have children, anyway. She was content with her standard of living and counted her blessings for finding the bishop on that unforgettable night.

The only thing that bothered her was her occasional nightmares about that night. She would wake up and scream or begin to cry, then consequentially having to reassure everyone that she was fine and did not need a doctor.

There was one night, though, that broke the norm of her everyday routine. She had finished her ballet lesson for the day, had done her errands, had eaten, and had gone to her room, not feeling the need to socialize much, as all of her ballet friends from the theater had moved on. She was sitting quietly in a loveseat doing a cross stitch, when a knock came at her door. She stood up and opened it and one of her ballet girls, Clarice La Roux stood outside her room, looking uncertain.

"Excuse me, Madame Giry, but there is a man who wishes to see you downstairs." Meg raised an eyebrow at her.

"What man? I have no gentlemen friends!" The young girl blushed.

"He says it's urgent and needs to see you immediately." Meg sighed and shook her head, confused and curious, and went down with Clarice. Sure enough, a man was there to see her. He was a little older than her, with curly, black hair and a heavy coat over a suit, as it was winter. He looked at her a bit wildly.

"You are Meg Giry, are you not?" She raised another eyebrow.

"Yes, I am, monsieur. How do you-?"

He looked both relieved and frustrated at once, grabbing her arm and saying, "Forgive me, there's no time to explain!" as he ran out the door with her shouts of, "Hey! What are you doing?! Let me go!"

"Quiet, madame, please! You have to trust me! It's urgent!"

"Where are we going, pray tell?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"The hospital! Quickly, hurry up!"

"The hospital? Are you implying I'm in need of a doctor? I'll have you know-!"

"Fantine!" he said, in response, and that's all she needed to hear, doubling her pace and running through the night with the stranger.


	11. Old Acquaintances

**Hope you enjoy!**

Meg ran only a few minutes with the stranger, as they were running at practically the speed of a horse-drawn carriage. When they got to the hospital, the stranger slammed the door open and took the steps three at a time. Meg didn't want to think about why anyone would go to a hospital this fast. When they got upstairs and entered the infirmary, what Meg saw thoroughly shocked her. There was a gaunt woman lying in a hospital bed with short, brown hair, looking like death. She had her head turned to her left and appeared to be talking to someone unseen. The stranger let go of her and Meg quickly ran to her friend. She sat on the right side of the bed quickly and startled her friend.

"Fantine!" she said, breathlessly. Her friend's eyes filled with tears.

"Meg, can this be you?"

Meg placed her hand on her friend's cheek, feeling tears prick in her eyes.

"Yes, Fantine, it's true. It's really me."

"You look the same as you always did. So pretty and youthful." Fantine started to cough a little and she waited until her fit subsided.

"I sent Monsieur for you. He is a saint, Meg. He found you in no time." However, Meg didn't want to talk about this right now.

"Fantine, what happened to you? How did you get this way?"

"That night, at the Opera House, when I ran away from you, I went back for Rene. Someone held me back, didn't let me through. He said that he had seen a gentleman in the Vicomte's box try to get down, but the flames had risen high and he fell." Her eyes filled with tears, "He's dead, Meg. And so was my life." Fantine began to tell Meg about what had happened to her the past eight years. She had had the child she had been carrying. It was a girl she named Cosette, who looked just like Rene. However, being unable to afford to take care of her, she had sent her to the local innkeeper and worked at a factory, sending her salary to her care. When she was fired due to her incriminating letter she'd brought to work, she had resorted to prostitution. She said this so resignedly that Meg felt herself tear up again.

"Oh, Fantine. You should really take better care of yourself," she said, remembering her friend's words. Fantine laughed and coughed.

"Please, Meg. Please take care of my Cosette."

"Oh, Fantine-"

"I will, of course, be there to assist Madame Giry, should she require assistance," interrupted the stranger, sitting on the left side of the bed and placing his hand tenderly on Fantine's. Meg mimicked the action. Her friend's hands were like ice! Fantine looked up at him like he was Jesus risen from the dead.

"Good, monsieur, you come from God in Heaven. And tell Cosette I love her and I'll see her when I wake," Fantine moved her head to her left again, looking at smiling at something unseen, before her eyes turned glassy, leaving the smile plastered on her face. Meg closed her eyes and tears streamed down her face. She already had to go through losing her friend once, and now she had lost her again. Meg hated herself for a moment. Wasn't there anything she could have done? Fantine had been in Paris all that time! Surely, she must have seen her! She felt the stranger reach over her and close her friend's eyes, placing a chaste kiss on her head.

He placed his hand tentatively on her shoulder. Meg didn't even acknowledge it.

"Meg-"

"Valjean, at last! We see each other plain! Monsieur le Mayor, you wear a different chain!" At the sound of the other man's voice, both Meg and the stranger whipped their heads around and jumped up, facing the intruder. She recognized him as one of the law officials she had seen patrolling the streets. He was looking at the stranger with a mixture of pure loathing and wicked glee. The stranger, who was named Valjean, held up his hand.

"Before you say another word, Javert! Before you trade me off like a slave again! Listen to me, there is something I must do!" Javert looked reluctant to listen, but curiosity got the best of him. Valjean gestured to Fantine.

"This woman leaves behind a suffering child! There is no one but us," he said, gesturing to Meg, "who can intercede! In mercy's name, three days are all we need!" Javert whipped out his sword and pointed it dangerously close.

"Then, I'll return, I pledge my word! Then, I'll return-!"

"You must think me mad!" Javert interrupted him with fresh anger, "I've hunted you across the years! Men like you can never change! A man such as you!" And with that, he made to attack him, but Meg jumped forward, grabbing Javert's arm.

"Stop! You don't know what you're doing!"

"Quiet, girl, or I'll have you thrown in jail as well!" Javert made to attack Valjean, who by this time had acquired a chair leg, but he was hampered by Meg, who still clung to his arm.

"Monsieur, stop-!"

"You little whore, get off!" and he kicked her so hard in the leg that she relinquished her grip and fell against the bed frame. However, before he could gather his wits, a sharp hit on the head by the chair leg knocked him unconscious and he slumped to the floor in a crumpled heap. Meg looked at the man on the floor, wide-eyed. The other man knelt down next to her and examined her.

"Are you alright, Madame?! Where did he hurt you?" he asked, making a grabbed toward her bruised leg. Meg jerked away from him, using the bed frame to stand up.

"I'm, fine, monsieur, let's just get Cosette." He looked at her uncertainly, but wasted no time ushering her down the hospital stairs. She tried to ignore the pain in her leg, knowing that Fantine's daughter was more important at the moment. They ran and limped through the night. When they arrived at the inn, they went inside, but they saw no blond girl. However, they did see a brunette, a blond woman, and a black-haired man. Valjean wasted no time. He strode up to the man and woman and asked for the whereabouts of Cosette. After some conversation, they told him she was collecting water from the well in the woods. However, Meg didn't join in on the conversation. There was something familiar about the blond woman and her curls.

"Helene!" Meg shouted in realization. They all stopped talking and looked at her. Helene smiled widely.

"Why, if it isn't Meg Giry! I never thought I'd be seeing you again! And that's Madame Thenardier to you now!" As curious as Valjean was, he departed, briefly placing his hand on Meg's shoulder. Again, she hardly noticed.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, me and Gaston here escaped, didn't we, same as you! I met him at the masquerade ball, you know!" she said, looking at him admirably.

"How did you come in possession of Cosette?"

"Well, certainly t'was the least I could do to help poor Fantine! Outta the kindness of me own 'eart, I offered to take care of the bastard. Shouldn't 'ave been sleeping around with a friend of the Vicomte's, but she came to me, soon after she was born, by chance it seemed, beggin' me to 'elp 'er. I said that o' course I could 'elp her, but I'd need pay for it. You don't get anywhere without money in this life!"

"But you were her friend!" Meg protested, "'Kindness of your own heart!' A real friend would've taken her in for free!"

"And where were you all those years, Meg?" she challenged, "You were a good friend of 'ers those last few weeks or so. Surely, _you_ could've come 'round and taken the child off of 'er 'ands! Where'd you disappear to, 'ey?"

"I haven't been able to find anyone from the Opera House," Meg said, through gritted teeth. Helene just smiled.

"You just didn't know where to look, did'ja? We're all here! Even that Christine Daae!" at which point, Meg perked up immediately.

"Christine? Where is she? Where've you seen her?"

"Oh, wouldn't you like ta know? I s'pose I could spill some beans with a little bit o' somethin' for me," Meg rolled her eyes and struggled to control her anger as she reached into her purse and handed her a few gold coins. Helene smiled.

"I did once see Mlle Daae and the Vicomte wandering around these parts, near the outskirts of the city, some years back. They had a little boy with 'em. Spittin' image of the Vicomte, if you ask me! But, wouldn't ya know, there's not much left of us from the Opera House, these days. People packed up and left, fearing that Opera Ghost was still alive. Only the brave go in there now to see what they can find!"

"And this is what you've been doing?" Meg asked, "Ripping everyone off at your over-priced inn?"

"We've gotta make a living, m'dear. 'Sides, me and Gaston gotta raise, our little girl, Eponine," she said, gesturing to a corner where Gaston and Eponine had wandered off to.

"She always liked you, though," Meg said, quietly, "She told me you were very nice. Always hung out with you."

"Why, of course! I was most popular back then, save for La Carlotta and Christine! You were always jealous of Christine, I saw, which is why you made up that cock-and-bull story about seein' the Phantom!"

"It was true!"

"You were always alone, weren't ya? Even now. Didn't'cha ever want a 'usband? 'Course, after seeing what bloody ol' Fantine went through, why'd'ja wanna?"

Meg was about to retaliate, when she felt a hand on her shoulder, startling her a little. It was Valjean, holding a little blond girl she assumed was Cosette.

"I found her wandering in the wood," he told them, "She appeared lost."

"Colette was always giving us trouble!" Gaston joined in, standing beside his wife.

"Cosette," Helene murmured.

"Cosette," Gaston corrected himself, quickly.

"I'd like to buy Cosette off of your hands," Valjean said, getting straight to the point.

"Well, we would settle for a thousand francs, but the girl with nuffin' but trouble," Helene joined in, pretending to cry a little. Valjean rolled his eyes, reached into his pocket, and handed her fifteen-hundred francs.

"Fifteen-hundred for your sacrifice," he said, sarcastically,"Thank you both for Cosette. It won't take you too long to forget." and with that, he turned on his heel and Meg followed him out, not looking back. How dare Helene talk about Fantine that way? What had Fantine ever done to her? She followed Valjean silently and absentmindedly, when she suddenly walked into him.

"Oof, I'm sorry, monsieur," she said. He looked at her a bit worriedly, but shrugged and put Cosette down.

"I'll be right back," he said, entering a shop. Meg looked down upon the shy Cosette. She was just as shy as her mother had been. Fantine had been right; she did look at lot like Rene, except her eyes and mouth belonged to Fantine. Meg knelt down.

"Hello, Cosette, I'm a friend of your mother's."

"Are you married to the monsieur?" she asked timidly. Meg shook her head.

"No, we're just acquaintances. You know, I knew your mother a long time ago. We did ballet together."

At this, Cosette lit up a little, curious for information, "You did? Was she a good dancer?"

"Oh, yes, one of the best!" Meg exaggerated earnestly.

"Where are we going now, Madame?" Cosette asked her. Meg furrowed her brow.

"You'll be staying with us," Valjean joined in, kneeling down as well, handing her a doll. Cosette smiled and thanked him. He picked her up, looked at Meg, and said, "C'mon," and off they went. They found a carriage and took that to a street relatively near where Valjean lived. When they got out, though, they saw Javert not far away. Valjean cursed under his breath, grabbed Meg's hand, and ran.

"It's meet he wants, not you two," he told Meg, handing Cosette to her, "Go find sanctuary at the local church. I'll lead him away." He was just about to run, when Meg grabbed his arm and stopped him. He looked back at her, confused.

"Be careful," she told him. He nodded and ran off. Meg ran in the opposite direction with Cosette, trying to find that church, thinking back to years ago when she'd found sanctuary in one. She ran around this part of Paris, not trying to panic, when she gratefully found a church, where she saw a gravedigger nearby. He looked up, startled.

"What are you doing here?"

"Please, monsieur, we need a place to stay!"

"Well-"

"Monsieur, please, grant us this charity," Valjean said, appearing behind the girls. The gravedigger looked shocked.

"Monsieur le Mayor, it's you!"

"Do I know you?" he asked him.

"You saved me from conviction," he said in awe. Meg looked at him. Just _who_ was this man?

"Then, please, allow us to stay here!"

"By all means," he said, gesturing to the entrance. They sat down in a pew.

"Let's rest here for a few minutes."

"How far away is your house?" she asked him.

"A couple of blocks away." Meg nodded and looked down at Cosette, who was falling asleep in her arms.

"Monsieur, all of my items are back at the theater."

"We'll send for them tomorrow," he said, "Now, let's continue," he said, getting up and walking to the exit. They walked in silence for those couple of blocks and eventually arrived at a large, elegant house. He put the key in and opened the door. Meg was astounded by how fancy it was. He led them upstairs to a bedroom.

"This will be Cosette's room," he said. She placed the girl in the bed, looked at her for a few moments, and walked out with Valjean. He walked down a different hallway and into a different bedroom.

"Would you like to stay here?" he asked. Meg nodded, but protested that she wasn't tired yet. He held up an index finger, disappeared, and reappeared shortly after with some pastries. They sat down in some chairs in the room and ate quietly.

"So," he began, "we haven't been properly introduced. My name is Jean Valjean."

"Why do the others call you Monsieur le Mayor?" So, Valjean began to recount his tale of how he was convicted by Javert for stealing a loaf of bread, how he stayed in a church for a night, and turned his life around because of a bishop, becoming Monsieur le Mayor, until he saved the gravedigger from being convicted as Valjean. Now he appeared to be on the run again.

"I know that bishop!" Meg declared, "He helped me, too!" And so, Meg began her tale of her adventures in the Opera Populaire and the Phantom of the Opera, how the Opera House burnt down eight years ago, and how she had sought refuge in that church, turning her life around and joining a theater troupe. She also explained that this is where she met Fantine. Valjean then explained how Fantine had worked at his factory before she had gotten fired and how he took her to the hospital.

"I remember the night I broke my parole," he told her, "I was running around at night, when a bang erupted and the Opera House was lit up in flames. People were screaming and running in all directions…." He trailed off when he looked at her face, "Sorry."

"I lost everything that night," she told him, solemnly, "My friends, my home, my mother."

"I'm sorry," he said again. She shrugged.

"It seems like we were both running from something," he told her, "You with the Opera Ghost and me with Javert." She looked at him thoughtfully, wondering that maybe she had found a kindred spirit in Valjean. He sighed and stood up.

"Why don't you get some rest? You must be exhausted. Good night," he told her, leaving the room. Meg slowly got into bed in the dress she was wearing, thinking that it would be impossible for her to get to sleep, but she was out as soon as her head hit the pillow.


	12. Happy Family

**Hope you enjoy!**

Meg was practicing her ballet at the Opera House, twirling around expertly, Christine and Fantine by her side. Then they both screamed her name. She looked at them, but Christine was gone. Fantine screamed her name again and she looked back at her. She was reaching out to her, her hand extended. Meg tried to grab it, but she couldn't move. She watched as Fantine lost her hair and became gaunt before her eyes.

"He's dead, Meg. I know he is," Suddenly, Meg heard another scream from behind her. She turned around and saw Rene about to jump from Box Five. She tried to call out to him to stop him, but her voice wouldn't work. She closed her eyes and opened them again, finding herself staring at her mother.

"You were always jealous and lonely, weren't you, Meg?" she said.

"Mother!" she screamed at her. A great shadow suddenly fell behind her mother and a noose was put over her neck and pulled taut, causing her to crumple to the floor, her head only a little raised because the murderer still held the rope. She screamed again.

"Mother, don't leave me!"

"You're a feisty one, aren't you, Meg?" the Phantom said, sneeringly. She screamed again as the curtains caught fire. Someone was pulling her along, away from her mother. She struggled, still facing her mother.

"No! Please!"

"Meg, wake up! Meg! _Meg!_"

Meg gasped and opened her eyes, sitting bolt upright. A pair of arms hugged her and shushed her. She realized she was being held by Valjean. She was shaking.

"It's alright, Meg, you're safe now."

"I'm sorry," she said, shakily, feeling tears, but refusing to cry again in front of him.

After a few moments, he pulled back, keeping his hands on her upper arms. He was sitting across from her.

"You were shouting for your mother," Meg nodded, suppressing a shudder from her dream. Could the Phantom have really killed her mother?

"Why don't you come downstairs for breakfast? It's eight in the morning," Suddenly, Meg remembered. Her clothes were at the theater! And what about the ballet girls?!

"Monsieur, the theater-!" she started, climbing out of bed. He stopped her.

"I've already sent for your clothes; they're in your closet now. And I told them you would be taking a day off today. They seemed to find that amusing." Meg held back a snort. A handsome man dragging Meg out of the theater at night, sending for her clothes, and requesting a day off for her? She could only imagine what they thought their celibate instructor could be doing.

"Just…give me a few minutes."

"Of course," he replied, getting off the bed and leaving the room. Meg took a deep breath, then stood up and got herself ready for the day. When she got down there, she found Valjean and Cosette sitting at the table.

"Good morning, Cosette," she said, cheerily.

"Good morning, Madame," she replied.

"I was just telling Cosette that it might be a good idea if I home-schooled her," Valjean said. Meg nodded and agreed.

"Every little girl and boy needs an education," she told her.

"Papa says that you teach ballet."

"Yes, that is right, Cosette. Would you like to learn?"

She nodded and Meg told her she would give her private lessons at the theater.

When they had finished breakfast, Cosette went outside to play in the yard, while Valjean and Meg cleared the table.

"I just want you to know that I will still be called Monsieur le Mayor by the others in public," he told her, "So, you should continue to be Madame Giry. We don't have to pretend we're married, or anything."

"I understand," she told him, "It would make it easier at the ballet if I kept my name."

He nodded and they continued working in companionable silence.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

When Meg went back to the theater the next day, all of her students went up to her and asked her questions and suppressing giggles. Just who _was _that handsome man and _why_ was he asking for her clothes? When she eventually calmed them down, she went back to teaching their ballet lesson, making up for their day off. At the end of the lesson, the girls went to the changing room and Meg sat down, taking a break. After a few minutes, however, she saw Valjean enter the theater with little Cosette holding his hand. She stood up and greeted them warmly.

"Hello, Monsieur, Cosette, how are you today?"

"Very well, Madame, thank you. Cosette did very well in her schooling today."

"Did she now?" said Meg, kneeling down and addressing Cosette, "Well, Cosette, how about I teach you some ballet?" The girl nodded eagerly.

"_Oooo!_" came shouts from behind her. Meg turned around and saw the girls had come out of the dressing room and were eying their teacher with playful mischief.

"Your gentleman friend _is_ handsome," Jeanne said. Then she saw Cosette and gasped. "Madame, that child, could she be-?"

"Yes, this is our daughter, Cosette," Valjean said, quickly. Meg turned back to him and shot him a surprised look, while the girls exploded behind her.

"But, why did you never-?" another asked.

"Madame Giry doesn't like to draw attention to our relationship; consequently, we haven't changed our names. I'm Monsieur le Mayor," he concluded, taking off his hat and bowing to them, while they giggled and went up to him.

"Oh, Monsieur, we're so relieved! We always thought she was a celibate!"

"I can assure you that's not true," he replied, laughingly, to which the girls erupted in laughter. Meg took Cosette's hand and led her away.

"Why did Papa lie to them?" Cosette asked, quietly.

"I'm not sure," Meg said, confusedly. Maybe he was trying to protect her honor. They began their ballet lesson, at which the girls stayed around to watch, cheering Cosette on, to which she smiled and became encouraged by the attention. Meg was helping Cosette through the phases, then let her on her own for a while. She looked up and saw Valjean smiling at their "daughter," then he turned to look at her and smiled as well, to which she smiled back.

When the lesson was over, the girls retired for the night and the trio took a carriage home, gave Cosette dinner, and put her to bed. Meg was reading her one of the story books to her until she fell asleep. Meg looked at her and saw she was asleep. She smiled, closing the book, and stroked her hair lightly.

"You make a great mother," Valjean said quietly from the door. Meg was startled a little from his entrance, but stood up from the bed and gestured for him to leave. They both went out and shut the door quietly behind them.

"Why did you tell them we were married?" Meg whispered. He waved her off and led her to the dining room and they sat down.

"When Fantine was found to be a single mother, with an abandoned father, she was fired. I was there, but I didn't do anything. That's when her life went downhill. Do you think they'd really believe that she wasn't our daughter when she has your hair and we live together? I don't want you to end up like Fantine."

Meg absorbed all this and nodded, thinking sadly that their adoptive daughter's hair didn't come from her, but from Rene, who never even knew he would be a father.

"In that case, I'll have to tell Cosette to call me Maman."

Valjean nodded solemnly, "I think that would be best."

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

The next day, Meg and Valjean explained to her why Meg should be addressed as Maman, to which Cosette just smiled and hugged her, glad that she had a new mother. Meg smiled and then sobered a little, solemnly thinking about the reasons they all had to put on the "happy family" act.

And that's how the days passed. One, big, happy family. A few days later, Valjean went out and bought Meg a diamond ring and himself, a gold ring, to provide cover for them, should people question them. Cosette was home-schooled and was a fast learner. Meg continued to teach at the theater, and watched as some of her girls moved on, off to do higher things in higher places.

Quickly, Meg began to see a full picture of Valjean's character. He was a hard worker and a serious man, but he was also compassionate and playful with Cosette. Meg found herself frequently laughing with him, talking to him about odds and ends for hours on end. Life with her new family was fun and steady. Javert seemed to have disappeared, and unfortunately, so did Christine. Meg began to search for her best friend, ever since Helene told her she lived on the outskirts of town, but unless her dwelling was invisible to her, Meg couldn't find it for the life of her.

She made a couple of friends who she chatted with on the streets. When they asked about her ring, she told them she was married with a child, but she kept her maiden name. Everything was great, until one day, Cosette asked her a question.

"Maman, do you love Papa?" Meg froze. At this point, Cosette was now ten, as opposed to eight. She had grown to love both Cosette and Valjean. But, _romantic_ love? Meg hadn't even contemplated it! True, she did find him more attractive these days, and when he smiled, especially at her, her heart skipped a beat and she felt flutters in her stomach. But, how could she fall in love with Valjean? She didn't think of herself as the romantic type. Not after what she'd seen of Christine and Fantine. Falling in love scared her. She didn't even know how.

"Of course, I do, Cosette!" she told her. It was mostly true. She did love his companionship.

One night, Meg went to her bed and had a terrible nightmare about Christine. Meg was wandering through the graveyard the night the Opera House burnt down, but she could hear distinct screams, despite her distance. They were shouting _Meg, Meg, help me!_ over and over. Meg began to cry and tried to call out to them, but her voice wouldn't reach. Then, Christine's voice reached her ears.

"_Meg!_" her friend screamed from behind her. Meg turned around and found herself in Christine's dressing room, watching her friend walk into the mirror. Meg ran up to her and grabbed her arm, but Christine turned around and grabbed her throat. Meg was wide-eyed.

"I need to find Raoul. I need to leave tonight."

"Christine!" she cried. Suddenly, a noose appeared around Christine's neck and she was hoisted upward, choking. Raoul and a little boy were hanging next to her. Her friend was reaching out to her, before she stilled.

"_Christine! No!_" Meg shouted bloody murder. The Phantom walked into view, his Punjab lasso at the ready.

"We're similar, you and I. We have no purpose in life."

"You killed them!" she screamed at him. She ran at him and began punching him.

"Ballet rat," he said, simply, and slipped the noose over her neck.

Meg woke up, eyes wide, lying in her bed. She hadn't screamed, but she was covered in cold sweat. She sat up and looked around the dark room, the images of Christine, Raoul, and that boy dead still in her mind. Meg couldn't help herself. She cried softly and began shaking. For all she knew, the Phantom really did kill her that night. Maybe Helene had lied about their little boy.

A knock resonated on her door. Meg abruptly stopped crying.

"Meg?" Valjean asked softly, "Can I come in?"

Meg didn't know what to do. How had he heard her? She didn't even scream. Surely, she hadn't cried _that_ loudly. But as she was thinking, she watched the doorknob turn slowly and the door open hesitantly. Valjean was standing in her doorway in his nightgown with an oil lamp. He went over to her bedside candle and lit it, set the lamp down, and sat down at the foot of her bed.

"What are you doing up?" she asked him.

"I couldn't sleep. I…had a nightmare. But then, I heard you crying."

"I had a nightmare too." He looked at her solemnly.

"It seems the ghosts of our past continue to haunt us," Meg flinched. "Sorry," he said.

"My best friend could be dead for all I know. How is it that Helene, er, Madame Thenardier could find her and I can't? I've been searching for ten years. What if he killed her?" her voice started to become hysterical, so he wrapped her up in a hug. Meg began shaking.

"How 'bout you?" she asked, "What was yours about?"

"Who else? Javert. He may still be out there. Just like your friend." Now, she was hugging him.

"We'll get through this, you know," she told him, "For Cosette's sake." He pulled back, but kept his hands on her shoulders.

"Yes, we will. We must."

"It's not so bad being married to you," she blurted out. He smiled at her, then slowly leaned forward and kissed her hesitantly. It was a very gentle kiss, full of love and sorrow. When he pulled back, she was crying. He wiped her tears away.

"Get some rest," he told her.

"Same to you, monsieur," she told him. He looked at her.

"Please call me Jean. Or Jacque le Mayor."

"All right, Jean. Good night. And thank you. For everything." He smiled again and placed his hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes, feeling her heart swell.

"The same to you, Meg. The same to you." and he stood up, took the oil lamp, and slowly left the room.


End file.
